Understairs Storage Ideas: 12 Ways to Use the Space
The best understairs storage ideas share one principle: bring the storage out to you instead of reaching into the dark. Deep pull-out drawers at the low end, a coat and shoe zone at the tall end, and a few fixed shelves in between will turn a cupboard that swallows shopping bags into one of the most useful spaces in your home. Below you will find the layouts that work, how to plan them around the slope, and what to check before you start cutting.
TL;DR
Split the space by height: coats and tall items at the high end, shelves in the middle, drawers and shoe storage where the ceiling drops.
Pull-out drawers or cabinets on runners use the full depth and suit awkward, low areas better than doors alone.
Measure at several points along the stairs, and note meters, consumer units, pipework and ventilation before fixing a layout.
Internal changes usually do not need planning permission, but building regulations can apply, and listed homes have extra rules.
Custom joinery makes the most of irregular angles, and we can survey, design and fit it as part of a wider refurbishment.
Table of Contents
Why the space under your stairs deserves a plan
Most homes have the same story. The cupboard door opens, and behind it sits a heap of coats, carrier bags, a vacuum cleaner and something you bought in 2019. The problem is rarely the lack of space. It is access. A wedge-shaped void gets deeper and lower as it goes, so the back becomes unreachable and everything ends up in the front.
A good design fixes this by treating the wedge as several smaller spaces, each matched to its height. Interior designer Lonika Chande, quoted in House & Garden, suggests splitting the area in two, with one side concealed and the other open, and adding books and textiles to exposed shelves so it feels homely rather than purely functional.
That idea of zoning runs through every layout below.
Start with the measurements
Before choosing anything, spend ten minutes with a tape measure and a notepad. It is the cheapest part of the project and prevents the most expensive mistakes.
Measure at several points. Staircases are rarely perfectly regular, and walls are rarely perfectly straight. Take heights and depths at intervals along the stair run rather than relying on one overall figure.
Draw a simple plan. Note the existing dimensions and mark anything you do not want to cover, such as sockets and switches.
Note the services. Gas and electric meters, consumer units, pipework, cables and ventilation openings all need to stay accessible, and ventilation openings should never be blocked.
Decide what must hang. The team at Blockhouse Build, in the House & Garden feature, says hanging space needs about 58cm of depth plus 2cm for a back plate. Only the taller end of the wedge will give you that.
Choose adjustable shelving where you can. Needs change as children grow and hobbies come and go, and adjustable shelves change with them.
Once you know which parts of the void are tall, which are shallow and which are occupied by services, the layout almost designs itself.
Twelve understairs storage ideas that work
1. Pull-out drawers on runners
If you are going to spend money on one thing, make it this. Nicole Salvesen of Salvesen Graham, quoted in House & Garden, recommends pull-out cabinets on runners rather than separate doors, because they let you use the full depth and work well in awkward, low spaces.
A run of drawers, each cut to the diminishing height of the stairs above it, brings the very back of the void into reach. Choose full-extension runners with a decent weight rating, solid drawer bases and, where you can, soft-close mechanisms. Designer Joanne Yeomans, speaking to Ideal Home, notes that soft-close hinges on doors and drawers make for a nicer everyday experience.
2. A coat and shoe zone at the tall end
The tallest section near the hallway is the natural place for a rail and hooks. Ideal Home describes a layout with two large pull-out sections holding a coat rail and shelves, plus an open section with a bench and hooks for wet coats, as covered in its under-the-stairs ideas.
If you are fitting hooks, fix them into a timber batten rather than straight into plasterboard so the load of heavy winter coats is spread. It is a small detail that keeps the wall intact.
3. A bench with open shoe storage
In a family hallway, a seat with open shelves or cubbies beneath it invites everyone to take their shoes off and put them away. Open storage also lets wet shoes dry. Pair it with hooks above for school bags and dog leads and you have a proper boot room in a very small footprint.
4. Three or four separate cupboards
House & Garden recommends cutting the space into three or four separate cupboards and using the last one, nearest the bottom step, for small items such as folding bikes, boxes of Christmas decorations or shoes. That low end is often wasted, yet it can hold a surprising amount once it has its own door.
5. Half open, half closed
Splitting the void lets you hide the clutter while showing off something you like. Keep the closed side for the vacuum and cleaning kit, and use the open side for baskets, books or a small lamp. It also makes the hallway feel less like a corridor of doors.
6. A utility nook
Space under the stairs can take a compact laundry set-up. Joanne Yeomans fitted one with a stacked washer and dryer, overhead storage, a sink, a pull-out laundry drawer and custom towel drawers, as Ideal Home reports. Because understairs areas often already hold utilities, access to meters and boards must stay clear in any design. Plumbing and electrical work of this kind should be done by qualified tradespeople.
7. A cupboard that hides the electrics
If your consumer unit or meter lives under the stairs, a neat door in the same finish as the rest of the joinery makes it look intentional. Ideal Home mentions a design with a cupboard to hide an electrical board. Whatever you choose, you and any electrician must be able to reach it at all times.
8. A pull-out platform for the vacuum
The far end of the wedge cannot be reached by hand, so stop trying. A pull-out platform for the vacuum at the tall end, with the hose hung on a hook above, means the cleaner comes to you. It is a modest piece of carpentry that tends to be used every week.
9. Shelves with baskets and dividers
Where the ceiling height allows, use deeper shelves, and move to narrower ones as the space gets lower. Elfa suggests combining shelves, mesh baskets and pull-out elements for sloping ceilings, with hooks and holders lower on the wall for bags, caps or gym kit. Baskets keep small things contained, and dividers stop them sliding around.
10. Sorted by category
Divide an open under-stairs area into zones: shoes near the front, cleaning tools behind, and less-used household items in labelled bins further in. Labels sound fussy until the day someone else in the house needs to find the spare bulbs.
11. A home office or drinks nook
A slim desk, wall-mounted shelves and a stool can turn the under-stairs area into a compact workspace, and the same idea works as a bar or coffee station. Natural light is limited, so plan good task lighting. Because a nook like this changes how the space is used, check the building regulations position before committing to the design.
12. A hidden door that blends in
A flush door painted to match the wall, with a push-to-open catch, makes the whole thing disappear. It suits modern hallways and is a good partner for a wider hallway refurbishment.
How to match the idea to the height
The stair above you dictates what each part of the void can do. As a general guide:
Zone | Typical use | Best fittings |
Tallest end, near the hall | Coats, vacuum, ironing board, cleaning kit | Hanging rail, hooks on a batten, door or pull-out |
Middle section | Boxes, bags, sports kit, small appliances | Adjustable shelves, baskets, dividers |
Lowest end | Shoes, wrapping paper, seasonal items | Drawers on full-extension runners, shallow shelves |
The golden rule is that only the tallest part will take hanging coats, so do not waste it on boxes. Put the things you use daily at the hall end and the things you use twice a year at the low end.
When picking fittings, consider how far each door or drawer will open. A staircase or an adjacent wall can limit the swing, so a pull-out or sliding option often works better than a hinged door in tight spots.
Budget and bespoke: what to spend on
You do not need to build everything at once. A sensible order of priority looks like this:
Drawers or pull-outs first. They transform a dark void into something you can actually use, and a bespoke run suits period properties with odd angles.
Simple shelves and baskets behind a door. A more budget-friendly route for light loads, and easy to upgrade later.
Lighting. Motion-activated LED strips make a deep cupboard far easier to use, and are best planned before the cabling is hidden.
Finish. Paint inside the cupboard in the same colour as the hall for a seamless look.
For a deeper look at how custom work earns its place, this overview of the benefits of bespoke custom storage covers lighting, cable routing and resale value. Our own take on space-saving storage that adds value and on carpentry ideas for homes may help you decide how far to go.
A note on damp and cold walls
If the under-stairs area is cold or sits against an exterior wall, particularly in an older home, it can feel slightly damp in winter. In that case avoid storing anything moisture-sensitive there, such as paper, spare bedding or electronics, and keep ventilation openings clear.
Do you need permission?
For most understairs storage projects, you are only fitting shelves, drawers and doors, which is ordinary joinery. Even so, it is worth knowing where the lines fall.
Planning permission. Councils are not normally concerned with internal works unless the property is listed, according to Bury Council’s homeowner guide. Listed buildings need listed building consent for many internal changes, so check with your local authority first.
Building regulations. These are separate from planning permission, and you could need both, as the government’s Manual to the Building Regulations explains. They are likely to apply when you alter a building or change building services and fittings. The London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, for example, says you must notify it about removing inside walls, altering plumbing and drainage, or rewiring.
Staircase changes. Simple storage under existing stairs is one thing. Altering the staircase itself, or adding a WC or work nook beneath it, is another, so speak to your local building control team before you commit. Our guide to loft stair regulations shows how seriously stair rules are treated.
If you are unsure, ask your council’s building control department or a contractor who handles this work regularly. A good one will tell you at the survey stage.
Our perspective
We have worked on homes across Fulham, Chelsea, Kensington, Chiswick, Hammersmith and Notting Hill since 2006, and the under-stairs cupboard is one of the spaces we are asked about most often. London terraces and mansion flats are full of odd angles, and that is exactly where made-to-measure carpentry earns its keep. Our advice is to treat the stairs as part of the hallway, not a separate cupboard. When a hallway is being refurbished, the best time to build understairs storage is while the floors, walls and electrics are already open. Lighting can be wired neatly, a consumer unit can be given a proper door, and the joinery can match the rest of the house. We keep the work in-house, with director oversight, instead of passing it down a chain of subcontractors. For a project like this, where an inch matters, that means the person who measured the space is the person answerable for how it fits. We provide an itemised, fixed quotation after a site survey, so you know what you are agreeing to before work starts. Mateja
Plan it into a wider project
Understairs storage rarely sits alone. It often forms part of a hallway makeover, a full property refurbishment, or work on the floor above. If you are converting your loft, the staircase may change too, and our loft staircase installation guide explains what is involved. For smaller properties, our guide to maximising small London homes shows how storage ideas like these fit together, and if wardrobes are next on your list, see our advice on built-in wardrobe design.
Want it designed and fitted for you?
If you would rather have the space measured, designed and built properly, we can help. Tenen Ltd handles carpentry, electrical work, plumbing, decorating and project management under one roof, serving homeowners in West and Central London. We aim to make a site visit quickly, and quote on a fixed, itemised basis. Explore our property refurbishment services or get in touch through our website to book a survey.
FAQ
What is the best way to use the space under the stairs?
Divide it by height. Use the tallest end for coats, a vacuum or cleaning kit, the middle for shelves and baskets, and the lowest end for shoes and drawers. Pull-out drawers on runners are the most effective way to reach the deep, low part, because they bring the contents to you.
Can I put a coat cupboard under the stairs?
Yes, but only the tallest part will take hanging coats. Hanging space needs around 58cm of depth plus a back plate, so check that part of the void before you plan a rail. Lower sections work better for shoes, drawers and shelves.
Do I need building regulations approval to change my understairs cupboard?
Adding shelves, drawers and doors is usually straightforward, and planning departments are not normally concerned with internal works unless the property is listed. Building regulations can apply if you alter services such as electrics or plumbing, or change the structure. Check with your local building control team before you start.
How do I stop an understairs cupboard feeling damp?
Keep ventilation openings clear and avoid storing moisture-sensitive items in a cold space, especially against an exterior wall in an older home. Store things in labelled, lidded bins, and keep a gap between items and the wall where you can.
Is bespoke understairs storage worth it?
For irregular or period spaces, made-to-measure joinery can use every angle, which off-the-shelf units cannot. Bespoke drawers are the costliest option, so many homeowners start with simple shelves and baskets, then upgrade. We provide an itemised quotation after a survey so you can see the options clearly.
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